Ghana opposition leader wins presidency

Opposition leader John Atta Mills was declared Ghana's next president yesterday in the closest electoral race the country has ever seen. The peaceful ballot secured Ghana's place as a beacon of democracy on a volatile continent; it is now one of the few countries in Africa to transfer power twice from one legitimately elected leader to another.

Though buoyed by the recent discovery of oil, the 64-year-old tax expert who takes charge on Wednesday will have to struggle with the effects of an economic downturn.

After the 7 December general election proved indecisive, Atta Mills won the second round ballot with a wafer-thin majority of 50.23 per cent over Nana Akufo-Addo, who garnered 4,480,446 votes. Atta Mills, mindful of his thin mandate, said: "I assure Ghanaians that I will be president for all."